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With EA’s newest instalment of the UFC franchise available now, we have compiled UFC 4’s best strikers along with various tips and tricks that’ll give you that extra boost needed to be successful when striking.
What is striking in UFC 4?
Striking is the art of stand-up fighting – generally speaking, striking is anything that’s not grappling. Almost all professional MMA bouts display some form of striking.
Some athletes in the sport excel while on their feet, with one of those being the UFC 4 cover star Israel Adesanya. The New Zealand-Nigerian has made a name for himself through vicious knockouts of top contender Derek Brunson and former champion Robert Whittaker.
Striking remains the favored style by a large proportion of fans, hence why flashy fighters like Edson Barboza have become must-watch television for many UFC fans.
Why strike in UFC 4?
In each and every mixed martial arts fight, the bout starts on the feet, where each participant exhibits their different set of skills in the striking department. The same is demonstrated in UFC 4.
The majority of the time spent in previous UFC games was on the feet, meaning that you can expect to find yourself regularly striking in this game, too. For this very reason, learning how to strike on the PlayStation 4 or Xbox One is essential.
Not a single player would turn down the opportunity to score a knockout, and the very best take place while standing. In order to score these awesome, highlight-reel KOs, you need to use the UFC 4 striking controls.
Full UFC 4 striking controls on PS4 and Xbox One
Below, you can find the full list of striking controls in UFC 4, including the stand-up fighting controls and how to defend while on your feet.
You can also find all of the complex advanced striking controls, such as the superman punch and flying knee!
In the UFC 4 controls below, L and R represent the left and right analogue sticks on either console controller. The controls of L3 and R3 are triggered by pressing the left or right analogue.
| Stand-up Movement | PS4 | Xbox One |
| Fighter Movement | L | L |
| Head Movement | R | R |
| Taunts | D-pad | D-pad |
| Switch Stance | R3 | R3 |
| Striking Attack | PS4 | Xbox One |
| Jab | Square | X |
| Cross | Triangle | Y |
| Left Hook | L1 + Square | LB + X |
| Right Hook | L1 + Triangle | LB + Y |
| Left Uppercut | Square + X | X + A |
| Right Uppercut | Triangle + Circle | Y + B |
| Left Leg Kick | X | A |
| Right Leg Kick | Circle | B |
| Body Modifier | L2 | LT |
| Overhands | R1 + Square/Triangle | RB + X/Y |
| Head Kicks | L1 + X/Circle | LB + A/B |
| Defend Against Striking | PS4 | Xbox One |
| High Block/Feint Strike | R2 | RT |
| Low Block/(timed) Leg Catch | L2 + R2 | LT + RT |
| Minor Lunge | L (flick) | L (flick) |
| Major Lunge | L1 + L | LT + L |
| Pivot Lunge | L1 + R | LT + R |
| Signature Evade | L1 + L (flick) | LT + L (flick) |
| Advanced Striking | PS4 | Xbox One |
| Lead Question Mark Kick | L1 + X (hold) | LB + A (hold) |
| Back Question Mark Kick | L1 + O (hold) | LB + B (hold) |
| Lead Body Front Kick | L2 + R1 + X (tap) | LT + RB + A (tap) |
| Back Body Front Kick | L2 + R1 + O (tap) | LT + RB + B (tap) |
| Lead Spinning Heel Kick | L1 + R1 + Square (hold) | LB + RB + X (hold) |
| Back Spinning Heel Kick | L1 + R1 + Triangle (hold) | LB + RB + Y (hold) |
| Back Body Jump Spin Kick | L2 + X (hold) | LT + Square (hold) |
| Lead Body Switch Kick | L2 + O (hold) | LT + B (hold) |
| Lead Front Kick | R1 + X (tap) | RB + A (tap) |
| Back Front Kick | R1 + O (tap) | RB + B (tap) |
| Lead Leg Side Kick | L2 + R1 + Square (tap) | LT + RB + X (tap) |
| Back Leg Oblique Kick | L2 + R1 + Triangle (tap) | LT + RB + Y (tap) |
| Lead Body Spin Side Kick | L2 + L1 + X (hold) | LT + LB + A (hold) |
| Back Body Spin Side Kick | L2 + L1 + O (hold) | LT + LB + B (hold) |
| Lead Body Side Kick | L2 + L1 + X (tap) | LT + LB + A (tap) |
| Back Body Side Kick | L2 + L1 + O (tap) | LT + LB + B (tap) |
| Lead Head Side Kick | R1 + Square + X (tap) | RB + X + A (tap) |
| Back Head Side Kick | R1 + Triangle + O (tap) | RB + Y + B (tap) |
| Two-Touch Spinning Side Kick | L2 + R1 + Square (hold) | LT + RB + X (hold) |
| Lead Jumping Switch Kick | R1 + O (hold) | RB + B (hold) |
| Back Jumping Switch Kick | R1 + X (hold) | RB + A (hold) |
| Back Head Spin Side Kick | L1 + R1 + X (hold) | LB + RB + A (hold) |
| Lead Head Spin Side Kick | L1 + R1 + O (hold) | LB + RB + B (hold) |
| Lead Crane Kick | R1 + O (hold) | RB + B (hold) |
| Back Crane Kick | R1 + X (hold) | RB + A (hold) |
| Lead Body Crane Kick | L2 + R1 + X (hold) | LT + RB + A (hold) |
| Back Body Crane Kick | L2 + R1 + O (hold) | LT + RB + B (hold) |
| Lead Hook | L1 + R1 + X (tap) | LB + RB + A (tap) |
| Back Hook | L1 + R1 + O (tap) | LB + RB + B (tap) |
| Lead Elbow | R2 + Square (tap) | RT + X (tap) |
| Back Elbow | R2 + Triangle (tap) | RT + Y (tap) |
| Lead Spinning Elbow | R2 + Square (hold) | RT + X (hold) |
| Back Spinning Elbow | R2 + Triangle (hold) | RT + Y (hold) |
| Lead Superman Jab | L1 + Square + X (tap) | LB + X + A (tap) |
| Back Superman Punch | L1 + Triangle + O (tap) | LB + Y + B (tap) |
| Lead Tornado Kick | R1 + Square + X (hold) | RB + X + A (hold) |
| Back Cartwheel Kick | R1 + Triangle + O (hold) | RB + Y + B (hold) |
| Lead Axe Kick | L1 + R1 + X (tap) | LB + RB + A (tap) |
| Back Axe Kick | L1 + R1 + O (tap) | LB + RB + B (tap) |
| Lead Spinning Backfist | L1 + R1 + Square (tap) | LB + RB + X (tap) |
| Back Spinning Backfist | L1 + R1 + Triangle (tap) | LB + RB + Y (tap) |
| Ducking Roundhouse | R1 + Triangle + O (tap) | RB + Y + B (tap) |
| Lead Jumping Roundhouse | L1 + Square + X (hold) | LB + X + A (hold) |
| Back Jumping Roundhouse | L1 + Triangle + O (hold) | LB + Y + B (hold) |
| Body Handplant Roundhouse | L2 + R1 + Triangle (hold) | LT + RB + Y (hold) |
| Lead Knee | R2 + X (tap) | RT + A (tap) |
| Back Knee | R2 + O (tap) | RT + B (tap) |
| Lead Flying Switch Knee | R2 + X (hold) | RT + A (hold) |
| Lead Flying Knee | R2 + O (hold) | RT + B (hold) |
READ MORE: UFC 4: Complete Controls Guide for PS4 and Xbox One
How to uppercut in UFC 4
To perform a right uppercut, press Square + X on PlayStation and X + A on Xbox. For a left uppercut, press Triangle + Circle on PlayStation and Y + B on Xbox.
How to do a spinning backfist in UFC 4
You can perform a spinning backfist in the following ways:
- Lead Spinning Backfist: L1 + R1 + Square (tap) / LB + RB + X (tap)
- Back Spinning Backfist: L1 + R1 + Triangle (tap) / LB + RB + Y (tap)
How to elbow in UFC 4
You can elbow your opponent in the following ways:
- Lead Elbow: R2 + Square (tap) / RT + X (tap)
- Back Elbow: R2 + Triangle (tap) / RT + Y (tap)
- Lead Spinning Elbow: R2 + Square (hold) / RT + X (hold)
- Back Spinning Elbow: R2 + Triangle (hold) / RT + Y (hold)
- Elbows in Clinch: L1 + Square + X L1 + Triangle + Circle / LB + X + A LB + Y + B
UFC 4 striking tips and tricks
In UFC 4, learning the timings of strikes is essential, but when it comes to an exchange between strike-savvy fighters, blocking is just as important as attacking.
Here are some tips and tricks to help you navigate striking in UFC 4.
Shot selection
In comparison to previous editions of the game, the striking in EA Sports UFC 4 is slow and requires the player to select their shots wisely. Fighters take a little while longer to reset finishing an exchange.
However, this change presents a more realistic experience in the game, which is a positive thing. Users can’t rely on spamming to win the contest, albeit power punchers remain tricky to deal with in certain scenarios.
As a result of this, you will have to think wisely before entering the pocket against the likes of Francis Ngannou and Justin Gaethje, as their heavy hands won’t hesitate to leave a mark on your fighter’s chin.
Head movement
On top of adopting a more methodical approach, players of UFC 4 will benefit from the use of head movement (R analogue on the PS4 and Xbox One) and major lunging (L1 + L for PS4, LT + L for Xbox One).
These two defensive maneuvers, if performed correctly, can allow your fighter to exit an exchange relatively unscathed. When matched alongside fierce strikers such as Dustin Poirier, using lunging a fair bit can prove to be a good strategy.
Block, block, block
It may sound easy, but blocking is something many players are fairly weak at doing. Newer players will block either too late or too early, which, more often than not, results in their fighter eating punches.
Every time you see your opponent hurl a strike in your direction, whether that be an overhand right or a body kick, attempt to block. Do not rely on your chin, even if you are playing as Paul Felder.
The standard block can be performed by holding R2 (PS4) or RT (Xbox One). To low block, which covers the legs and body, press R1 + R2 (PS4) and LT + RT (Xbox One).
Who are the best strikers in UFC 4?
In the table below, you can find a list of the very best strikers in UFC 4 per each division, as of the game’s launch into EA Access.
| UFC 4 Fighter | Weight Division |
| Weili Zhang/Joanna Jedrzejczyk | Strawweight |
| Valentina Shevchenko | Women’s Flyweight |
| Amanda Nunes | Women’s Bantamweight |
| Demetrious Johnson | Flyweight |
| Henry Cejudo | Bantamweight |
| Alexander Volkanovski/Max Holloway | Featherweight |
| Justin Gaethje | Lightweight |
| Jorge Masvidal | Welterweight |
| Israel Adesanya | Middleweight |
| Jon Jones | Light Heavyweight |
| Stipe Miocic | Heavyweight |
When it comes to striking in UFC 4, it’s just as important to time your blocking as it is to get to grips with the new speed of striking in the game.
Looking for More UFC 4 Guides?
UFC 4: Complete Controls Guide for PS4 and Xbox One
UFC 4: Complete Submissions Guide, Tips and Tricks for Submitting Your Opponent
UFC 4: Complete Clinch Guide, Tips and Tricks to Clinching
UFC 4: Complete Grapple Guide, Tips and Tricks to Grappling
UFC 4: Complete Takedown Guide, Tips and Tricks for Takedowns
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